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A burning cardboard box ignited by a malfunctioning hydraulic compressor at Consolidated Paper Co. at 2630 Eighth St. could have started a major conflagration, had not a passerby summoned the Fire Department Tuesday morning.

Berkeley Fire Department Deputy Chief David Orth said company employees had extinguished the box without calling on BFD’s services.

But fortunately a passerby spotted the smoke and called 911.

When firefighters checked the scene they discovered embers still glowing, and paper on fire beneath a loaded dumpster.

“If we hadn’t caught it, it could have been a really big fire,” Orth said. “The real message is that all fires should be reported. We talked to the company and they agreed and they’re now talking to all their employees.”

Oven Blaze

Another blaze 10 minutes earlier was safely contained in a residence at 1321 Haskell St. before it could do major damage to the residence.